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R Ashwin, MS Dhoni and Brendon McCullum (Source: AFP)
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) recently sacked Brendon McCullum as head coach of the England men’s Test side. In another part of the world, the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) franchise and head coach Stephen Fleming “mutually” parted ways ahead of IPL 2027.
With both former New Zealand captains almost simultaneously losing their respective coaching gigs, former Indian all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin soon reportedly emerged as a leading contender for each of the two vacancies.
While speaking with veteran sports journalist Vimal Kumar, the seasoned Indian pro has now shared his thoughts on the growing speculation over his coaching future.
Ravichandran Ashwin diverts away from CSK coaching discussion
Taking to his YouTube channel, R Ashwin once again interacted with sports journalist Vimal Kumar for his online series ‘Ash ki Baat’.
At one point during their interaction, Vimal Kumar urged Ashwin to address the possibility of him becoming the next coach of the CSK franchise after the recent exit of Stephen Fleming.
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The legendary Indian off-spinner hilariously diverted away from the conversation by thanking Vimal for attending his YouTube channel.
Ashwin said “I want to thank you for coming to my channel and talking with me. Thank you so much for joining this episode of Ash ki Baat.”
When asked about a possible coaching gig for England, the cricket expert jokingly made up a story about having a conversation with ECB CEO Richard Gould.
Watch the video here:
His light-hearted response effectively sidestepped the question, leaving the coaching speculation unanswered for fans of the cricketer and of the franchise.
Ashwin, Rahul Dravid among contenders to coach England
After the exit of Brendon McCullum as England’s Test coach, former Indian cricketers Ravichandran Ashwin and Rahul Dravid emerged as two of the leading contenders for the high-profile role.
Moreover, even CSK outbound Stephen Fleming was once reportedly considered to join the England Test side. However, neither the ECB nor the three aforementioned cricketers have made any official statement regarding the same.
Interestingly, both Dravid and Ashwin are also reportedly eyed by the CSK franchise to coach the team in their road towards next year’s IPL 2027 season.
Ravichandran Ashwin’s history with CSK
Notably, Ravichandran Ashwin already holds a decorated past with the CSK franchise. The former Indian cricketer started out his IPL career for the CSK back in 2009, and his impressive beginnings with the franchise laid out the foundation of his Team India debut across all formats.
He played a crucial role in CSK’s twin title victories of 2010 and 2011, picking up 33 wickets across both editions of the tournament in just 28 innings.
Ashwin also bowed out of the game after turning up for the franchise in 2025, which marked his return to CSK after a gap of over a decade. However, in his nine matches of the season, the cricketer picked up just seven wickets at an expensive bowling average of 40.42.
Regardless, Ashwin remains one of the most prolific wicket-takers in the history of the IPL with 187 sticks to his name, including 127 for the CSK franchise.
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